VETERAN ADVISER FOR GOP TO HELP FILNER

Tom Shepard will be chief consultant for mayoral campaign

San Diego 
Tom Shepard, a veteran Republican political consultant who helped guide San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders into public office, has joined the mayoral campaign of Democratic Rep. Bob Filner.

The addition of Shepard as chief campaign consultant may bolster Filner’s chances against Republican City Councilman Carl DeMaio in the November runoff but will likely be seen as a head-scratcher to some political insiders given Shepard’s deep Republican ties.

Shepard’s resumé includes electing three of the past five mayors — which led The San Diego Union-Tribune to once dub him “The Kingmaker” — and each of the five members of the county Board of Supervisors, all Republicans. He also ran the successful campaigns for the construction and expansion of the San Diego Convention Center, development of Petco Park and the city’s strong-mayor form of government, among others.

Shepard was most recently at the helm of Republican-turned-independent Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher’s unsuccessful bid for mayor in the June primary. Fletcher finished third behind DeMaio and Filner.

Filner said he was impressed with how Shepard ran Fletcher’s campaign so he reached out to him after the election.

“I’ve known Tom a long time. We’ve agreed on things. We’ve disagreed on things. But I’ve always respected his professionalism and his skills,” Filner said. “We had several conversations and we decided that we had a shared vision and commitment to the future of San Diego.”

In a Wednesday interview, Shepard said he knows his decision to back Filner will likely damage the relationships he’s built over the years and hurt his consulting business. He said he just couldn’t sit back and watch DeMaio become mayor because he knows “how much damage a destructive personality can do to an institution.”

“If I did not feel that Filner had the capability of being an effective mayor who moved the city in a positive direction, I would be fully prepared to pass on this race,” Shepard said. “It took me having the chance to talk to him at length over several weeks to get to a point where I felt really comfortable with him.”

Ryan Clumpner, DeMaio’s campaign manager, released the following statement: “Our next mayor will be chosen by voters, not a bitter political consultant. We trust that Carl’s record of accomplishing meaningful reforms and his vision of a prosperous regional economy, improved city services, and the full restoration of our city’s infrastructure, will resonate with San Diegans.”

DeMaio and Fletcher relentlessly attacked each other ahead of the primary and the contempt was obvious from both sides. Now Shepard, Fletcher’s chief strategist, has put himself opposite DeMaio once again.

The U-T hailed Shepard’s political skills in a 2005 article entitled “Return of the Kingmaker” after he engineered Sanders’ victory in a mayoral special election. “To admirers, Shepard is a wizard with the arcane weapons of political warfare,” the article read. “To detractors, he is a street fighter whose modus operandi often includes tearing the opposition to shreds.”

Three of Shepard’s past clients have been elected mayor, including Roger Hedgecock (1983), Susan Golding (1992) and Sanders (2005). He’s also been on the losing end with Ron Roberts (2000).

Shepard’s career in local politics was almost cut short after that first mayoral victory. In 1984, he was charged with conspiracy and perjury in a scheme to funnel more than $300,000 into Hedgecock’s campaign. Shepard pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

That dark chapter has largely been forgotten since Shepard resurrected his career and is now considered the most sought-after consultant in San Diego.

Shepard, a registered Republican who turns 64 on Thursday, has a politics company — Tom Shepard & Associates — and a lobbying company, Public Policy Strategies. He said his partners in the lobbying firm favor DeMaio so Shepard won’t be actively involved in its activities during the campaign though he retains his ownership stake.

Shepard also said he’s already lost one client — Republican state Assembly candidate Sherry Hodges — over his decision to work with Filner.

John Dadian, a Republican political consultant, said it shouldn’t be a huge shock that Shepard is joining up with Filner given Shepard’s past as a Democratic mayor of Del Mar and his strong dislike of DeMaio.

“It’s not a surprise because it’s been evident that he didn’t like DeMaio and his client (Fletcher) didn’t like DeMaio, and I’m talking about like on a personal level not philosophical,” Dadian said.